Musical instrument.



PATENTED NOV. 22, 1904.

F. O. GUTMAN.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.19,1903.

N0 MODEL.

No..775,817. I Patented November 22, 1904.

UNITED STATES PATENT @FFICE.

FREDERICK O. GUTMAN, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE ROYAL MUSIC COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 775,817, dated November 22, 1904. Application filed November 19, 1903. Serial No. 181,798. No modelfl 71/71/0777 it y oncern: of the instrument, its unity of tone, avoiding 5 Be it known that I, FREDERICK O. GUTMAN, all overtones, and the entire freedom from a citizen of the United States, and a resident warping. of Cleveland, county of Cuyahoga, State of The primary advantage of boring the large 5 Ohio,have invented certain new and useful Imhole part way through the body of the instruprovements in Musical Instruments, of which ment, a thin sounding board being thus 55 I hereby declare the following to be a full, formed, is that the sounding-board can thus clear, and exactdescription, such as will enable be made of uniform thickness throughout, others skilled in the art to which it appertains which could not be accomplished by gouging To to make and use the same. or chiseling or any other well-known method.

My invention relates to improvements in Great exactness is essential to aperfectvibra- 6O stringed musical instruments, such as a mantion of the sounding-board and a perfect qualdolin or guitar, having a neck and soundingity of tone, as all manufacturers of musical board; and the objects of the invention are to stringed instruments are aware. Not only provide a body for the instrument made with perfection of workmanship, but also economy an integral sounding-board and neck or stem; in manufacture is thereby obtained. 5 and it consists in the details of construction Having described my invention, what I and combination and arrangement of parts, as claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters hereinafter described, shown in the accompa- Patent, is

nying drawings, and specifically pointed out 1. In a stringed musical instrument, in comin the claims. bination, an integral body, stem and sounding- 7 0 In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is board, the said body and stem being formed a plan view of the device. Fig. 2 is a longiof soft light and resonant wood, such as Calitudinal central section thereof. fornia redwood, acircular openingin the back In the views, 1 is the body of the instrument, having smooth sides and bottom, and the said shaped from one integral piece of light and bottom being a plane surface strictly parallel 75 resonant Wood, such as California redwood. with the plane of the upper surface of the in- The cavity 2 of the body is circular and is strument, and the said opening extending bored from the bottom toward the top, leavnearly to the upper surface of the instrument,

ing a thin plate 3 at the top integral with the an integral sounding-board being thus formed body and covering the opening. This forms upon the front of the instrument, a smaller the soundingboard. The usual opening l circular opening or sound-hole bored entirely left in this board for sound emission is made through the' body portion, communicating at the end of the cavity 2, is circular also in with the larger opening, and a thin wooden shape, and is bored entirely through the plate closing both said openings, at the back wooden body. The bottom is then completed of the body portion, substantially as described. 5 by gluing a thin plate of wood 5 overthe 2. Inastringed musical instrument, in comopening thus formed in the body of the inbination, a body portion and stem therefor strument. formed of one integral piece of soft, light and 40 The strings are stretched over the soundresonant material such as California redwood,

board upon a bridge 6 and secured in the acircularsound-opening,havingsmooth sides, 9 usual manner at the lower end and are drawn and a perfectly, fiat bottom, extending from over the metal frets 7 by means of the metal the back nearly to the front, asounding-board pins 8. The frets may be sunk in the stem being thus formed over the said opening, a

just as it is formed, or a thin strip 9 may be smaller circular opening extending entirely glued upon the stem, in the upper surface of through the said body portion from front to which the frets are secured. back, a thin plate of wood forming the back The advantages of this unique form of conof the instrument and covering both said struction are found in the unusual strength openings, and a strip of hard wood covering 1 surface, an integral sounding board of unvarying thickness throughout being thus formed on the front of the body portion, as and in the manner described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto set my hand this 17th day of November, 1903.

FREDERICK O. GUTLMAN.

\Vitnesses:

NM. M. MONROE, Geo. S. Conn. 

